1. Academic Validation
  2. In vitro biotransformation, in vivo efficacy and pharmacokinetics of antimalarial chalcones

In vitro biotransformation, in vivo efficacy and pharmacokinetics of antimalarial chalcones

  • Pharmacology. 2011;87(1-2):96-104. doi: 10.1159/000322532.
Clare E Gutteridge 1 Darshan S Thota Sean M Curtis Michael P Kozar Qigui Li Lisa Xie Jing Zhang Victor Melendez Constance O Asher Thulan T Luong Lucia Gerena Daniel A Nichols Gettayacamin Montip
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md 21402, USA. gutterid@usna.edu
Abstract

4'-n-Butoxy-2,4-dimethoxy-chalcone (MBC) has been described as protecting mice from an otherwise lethal Infection with Plasmodium yoelii when dosed orally at 50 mg/kg/dose, daily for 5 days. In contrast, we found that oral dosing of MBC at 640 mg/kg/dose, daily for 5 days, failed to extend the survivability of P. berghei-infected mice. The timing of compound administration and metabolic activation likely contribute to the outcome of efficacy testing in vivo. Microsomal digest of MBC yielded 4'-n-butoxy-4-hydroxy-2-methoxy-chalcone and 4'-(1-hydroxy-n-butoxy)-2,4-dimethoxy-chalcone. We propose that the latter will hydrolyze in vivo to 4'-hydroxy-2,4-dimethoxy-chalcone, which has greater efficacy than MBC in our P. berghei-infected mouse model and was detected in plasma following oral dosing of mice with MBC. Pharmacokinetic parameters suggest that poor absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion properties contribute to the limited in vivo efficacy observed for MBC and its analogs.

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